# Countdown vs Countdown maker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countdown maker at none against Countdown's 1. Countdown maker also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). Countdown's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (162 vs 4). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Countdown maker asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown maker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 162 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 100% of Countdown maker's.

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, Countdown maker every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Countdown maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-maker/id1547128750/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **162** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 61 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rob Sammons](https://appshunter.io/developer/659065077) | [Luis Escalante Gonzalez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543108331) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476)

Easily track upcoming events, holidays, and important dates with custom photos and notifications. View your countdowns on your Apple Watch, Mac, or Lock Screen widgets. Share events and enjoy a private, ad-free experience with optional Pro features.

**Highlights:** Add, modify, and view countdowns, Customizable photos from library or web, Siri integration for easy access, Apple Watch and Mac support, Widgets for home and lock screens, Shareable countdown images, Customizable event notifications

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🖼️ Customizable background images
- ✨ Clean and elegant design
- 🚀 Fast and reliable performance
- 💰 Good value for one-time purchase

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 App became paid/premium required
- 🖼️ Widget customization limitations
- ⏳ Date selector can be cumbersome
- 📸 Photo cropping/zooming issues
- 🚫 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Cannot add more than two countdowns
- 🐛 Widget colors "washing out"
- 🐛 Incorrect countdowns
- 🐛 Countdown data disappeared
- 🐛 Keyboard shows up and won't go away

**Requested features**

- Recurring event option
- Ability to crop images
- Import calendar events
- Integration with Google/iCloud calendars
- Option to show more than one goal in a large widget


### Countdown maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-maker/id1547128750)

Create simple and elegant countdown timers for any event. Add customizable widgets to your home screen in various sizes, colors, and formats. Set up personalized notifications to stay on track.

**Highlights:** Simple countdown timer, Home screen widgets, Multiple widget sizes, Customizable widget colors, Configurable widget format, Personalized notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Countdown maker free?

Countdown maker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Countdown maker?

Countdown maker is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.6 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while Countdown maker averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Countdown maker have ads?

Countdown maker shows ads; Countdown does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Countdown maker?

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown maker every 2 days. Most recently, Countdown was updated on October 7, 2026 and Countdown maker on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*